Traveling chair for shower stalls



May 28, 1963 J. E. MALING & 9

TRAVELING CHAIR FOR SHOWER STALLS Filed Dec. 7, 1960' 2 Sheets-Sheet /A//A//A//M /L//M FIG. 2.

INVENTOR JOHN E. MALING ATTDRNEV May 28, 1963 Filed Dec. 7, 1960 J. E. MALING TRAVELING CHAIR FOR SHOWER STALLS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 !NVENTOR Jens E. MALING ATTORNEV United States Patent O 3,090,969 TRAVELING CHAIR FOR SHOWER STALLS John Edwin Maling, 470 Cotton St., Melo Park, San Mateo County, Calif. Filed Dec. 7, 1960, Ser. No. 74,406 3 Claims. (Ci. 4-145) This invention relates to shower bathing facilities and deals with a traveling chair adapted to be removably installed in a shower stall.

The primary object of the invention to be hereinafter described and claimed is the provision of a chair whereby injured people, cripples, and otherwise incapacitatecl persons may make ordinary use of a shower stall.

More specifically, it is an object of this invention to provide a car having a seat for hearing a person which car travels on rails in and out of a shower stall door.

Briefly stated, the invention amounts to the combination of a long 'and a short rail having means for supporting the rails above the floor level with a three wheeled carriage adapted to ride the rails and support a person on a seat provided by the carriage. In practice, the single wheel is placed on the short rail to derive the full travel of the carriage on the tracks.

A further object is to provide a vehicle of the character described which is portable, light, durable, and easily and quickly mounted or dismounted on the floor of a shower stall.

Fur-ther objects and advantages will become apparent as the description proceeds in conjunction with the drawings in which:

PIG. 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, showing my apparatus installed in shower stall;

FIG. 2 is a plan view, partly in section, of the same;

FIG. 3 is a plan View of the track;

FIG. 4 is a side View of the track;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of .the carriage;

FIG. 6 is a side View of the carriage, taken in the direction of the arrow 6 in FIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 is another side view of the carriage, taken in the direction of the arrow 7 in FIG. 5.

The invention consists essentially of two units, namely, a track, generally designated T, and a carriage, generally designated C.

Taking up first the track T, it will be seen in FIG. 3, that it comprises a short rail 11 and along rail 12. These rails are 'spaced by bars 13 and 14. The rail 12 is composed of two sections 15 'and 16 which are joined by a telescoping joint 17. The whole of the rail arrangement is supported above the floor level by legs 18 at each corner of the arrangement. The structure just described is preferably made of pipe with standard ttings, and the bars 13 and 14 are set below the track level for purposes of ntility. The bottom of legs 18 may be equipped with rubber or any other suitable material to provide better footing on the floor of a shower stall.

Referring to the carriage C, it will be 'seen in FIGS. 5, 6, and 7 that it consists of three wheels 19, 20 and 21 mounted on a right angle frame comprising bars 22, 23, 24, and 25. The double system of bars is used to provide greater strength and also to provide two side members of more convenience for the person using the chair. It will be noted that wheel 20 is double flanged while wheels 19 and 21 are shown -as single flanged. While it is essential that wheel 20, being the guide wheel on the carriage, be double flanged, the wheels 19 and 21 may be double or single flanged as desired and even in a restricted sense, wheel 20 or all the wheels may have concave treads to ride on the pipe rails and serve the same purpose. However, the flanged wheels are preferable since they provide more security against the carriage leaving the tracks while a person is seating himself on the seat. The whole chair arrangement is made from suitable pipe and standard fittings the same as the track arrangement. The means for mounting the wheels on the three corners of the frame are incidental and conform to standard practice. A seat 26 is located in the corner of the frame and fastened to the rails 24 and 25. It will be noted that the seat is inside the three point support of the frame on the wheels, thus providing a stable structure.

Means is provided for locking the carriage against movement on the rails at any point. As shown, this means consists of a rod 27 mounted in the member 24 closely adjacent the wheel 20. Rotatably mounted on the rod is a sleeve 28 which is rotated by a yieldable spring rod 29 that carries a knob 30 on its upper end above the member 22. The upper end of the rod engages a detent member 31 having teeth 32 adapted to engage and hold the rod fixed under tension. On the sleeve 28, I provide an arm 33 which carries a brake shoe 34 at its outer end 'adapted to engage the tread of the wheel and lock it against rotation.

In using my apparatus, the track T is placed on the floor of a shower stall S. In FIG. 2, it will be observed that the long rail 12 is composed of sections 15 and 16 and extends through the door D of the shower stall, while the short rail 11 fits between the walls 35 and 36 of the stall. The carriage C is mounted on the rails with the single wheel on the short rail, as shown in FIG. 2. It may be moved to the dotted line position, shown in FIG. 2, for loading a person on the seat 26. After 'the person is seated the carriage may then be rolled back into the shower stall and the person is then able to get the full benefit of a shower. It is obvious there is ample room for a person to move about on the seat and face in several directions.

An apparatus of the foregoing character will find usefulness in hospitals, convalescent homes, private homes, or any place where a disabled or a partially disabled person may reside.

I claim:

1. A traveling chair for a shower stall comprising a track composed of a long rail and a short rail, means for supporting said rails in 'an elevated position in a shower stall with the short rail extending from wall to wall inside the stall and the long rail extending through the door :to the stall, a carriage adapted to ride said rails, said carriage having three flanged wheels rotatably mounted thereon with two of said wheels spacedly mounted on one side of said carriage to rotate in line and ride said long rail, one of said two wheels having a flange on each side thereof to guide said carriage on said long rail, and the thirri of said wheels being mounted on said carriage to rotate in a plane substantially parallel to and spaced from the plane of rotation of said two wheels adapted to ride the said short rail, and a seat on said carriage for supporting a person thereon.

2. For use with a shower stall, the combination of a track arrangement comprising a long rail and a short rail and a three wheeled carriage having two of its wheels spacedly mounted on one side thereof to rotate in a common plane adapted to ride said long rail, and the other of its wheels being mounted on said carriage to rotate in a plane parallel to and spaced from the plane of rotation of said two wheels adapted to ride the said short rail with a seat on said carriage adapted to support a person thereon.

3. For use with a track having a long rail and a short rail, a carriage having three flanged wheels rotatably mounted thereon, said carriage having a frame formed of two side members substantially at right angles to each other, two of said wheels being spacedly mounted on one of said side members to rotate in line in a common plane With 'one-of'sad two wheels having a flange on each side thereof, and the other of 'said wheels being rotatably mounted on the end of the other of said side members tqrotate in a plane spaced from and arallel to said first mentoned plane, and 'a seat on said carriage `adapted to 5 support a person thereon.

UNITED STAT ES PATENTS Robertson Jan. 11, 1916 Palin May l, 1923 Webb et al Aug. 18, 1953 Funyak Sept. 8, 1959 

1. A TRAVELING CHAIR FOR A SHOWER STALL COMPRISING A TRACK COMPOSED OF A LONG RAIL AND A SHORT RAIL, MEANS FOR SUPPORTING SAID RAILS IN AN ELEVATED POSITION IN A SHOWER STALL WITH THE SHORT RAIL EXTENDING FROM WALL TO WALL INSIDE THE STALL AND THE LONG RAIL EXTENDING THROUGH THE DOOR TO THE STALL, A CARRIAGE ADAPTED TO RIDE SAID RAILS, SAID CARRIAGE HAVING THREE FLANGED WHEELS ROTATABLY MOUNTED THEREON WITH TWO OF SAID WHEELS SPACEDLY MOUNTED ON ONE SIDE OF SAID CARRIAGE TO ROTATE IN LINE AND RIDE SAID LONG RAIL, ONE OF SAID TWO WHEELS HAVING A FLANGE ON EACH SIDE THEREOF TO GUIDE SAID CARRIAGE ON SAID LONG RAIL, AND THE THIRD OF SAID WHEELS BEING MOUNTED ON SAID CARRIAGE TO ROTATE IN A PLANE SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL TO AND SPACED FROM THE PLANE OF ROTATION OF SAID TWO WHEELS ADAPTED TO RIDE THE SAID SHORT RAIL, AND A SEAT ON SAID CARRIAGE FOR SUPPORTING A PERSON THEREON. 